Invasive European green crab found in U.S. Pacific Northwest

A new population of invasive European green crab has been found near Sequim city, Washington state, raising concern over the potential for damage to local marine life and shorelines.

Staff and volunteers from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service captured a total of 13 European green crab at Dungeness Spit over the past two weeks as part of the Washington Sea Grant Crab Team early detection program based at University of Washington (UW).

These numbers indicate that the invasive crabs are more abundant at Dungeness Spit National Wildlife Refuge than at the two other known locations in Washington's inland waters. The first discovery of the crab was made by Crab Team volunteers last August on San Juan Island, followed by a detection at the Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, near Mt. Vernon.

"This is a very different situation," Crab Team program coordinator Emily Grason was quoted as saying earlier this week in a news release from UW. "This indicates a situation where the population could grow very quickly, if we don't intervene."

As one of the most globally successful invasive species, European green crab's established populations are problems in Australia, South Africa and the east coast of the United States. In places where the crab has become abundant, it has been blamed for damaging shellfish harvests and decimating sea grass beds.

Research on the U.S. West Coast has indicated that native organisms such as shore crabs, young Dungeness crabs and shellfish could be harmed by invasive green crab.

Experts responded to the initial detection in the U.S. Pacific Northwest with a rapid-response trapping effort and are currently working on a plan with local stakeholders for ongoing response and removal efforts for the area. Endit